The Atheist 'Pay 50 Shekels for a Rape, Get A Rape' Myth

Atheists often distort the Old Testament as if a man could rape at will, pay a few bucks, and go on his way, thereby proving God is bad or something. Let's look at the whole Deut. 22 passage in context, not the cherry-picked part:

25 But if out in the country a man happens to meet a young woman pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. 26 Do nothing to the woman; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders a neighbor, 27 for the man found the young woman out in the country, and though the betrothed woman screamed, there was no one to rescue her.

28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay her father fifty shekels[c] of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.

Situation One: Engaged woman (same legally as being married in the ancient world) is raped, rapist executed, woman goes back to her fiancee to try and put her life back together.

Situation Two: Non-engaged woman is raped, rapist forced to pay father an amount equal to a year's wages and made to marry the woman, without the possibility of divorce. In that culture, a woman who had been raped (or who had pre-marital sex of any kind) would not be marriage material, and would be forced to starvation or prostitution. If the rapist was executed in this case she would not have been provided for. Is there supposed to be some kind of gross injustice there I'm missing?

 

OH Yuppers!


The bible did NOT say rape is not the fault of the woman, did NOT say to comfort her or show her compassion.

No, it says she should be forced to be raped repeatedly forever by her rapist....gross injustice

 

So where is her punishment if it is her fault?

Providing for her IS showing compassion.

You would prefer she starve or turn to prostitution?

 

No, the bible(the word of a loving just god) should've intructed the people of the times to show compassion and treat her as any other woman. The bible (the word of a loving , just god) should've reprimanded the people if they forced her to starve or become a prostitute because of the actions of someone else.....

 

Deuteronomy 22: 6-7

6 If you come across a bird’s nest beside the road, either in a tree or on the ground, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, do not take the mother with the young. 7 You may take the young, but be sure to let the mother go, so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life.

If this is to be interpreted literally, then you should eat baby birds and not the adults. If this is just allegory then you have a case to show that God condones abortion. How do you interpret it?

 

The Bible is reprimanding you telling you to believe in God and repent, and that isn't working. People misuse their free will.

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I don't really think about it as it is intended for the OT theocracy of Israel, but I do know it is silly to equate animals with humans, created in the image of God.

 

so much fail ....

'don't really think about it' is probably not the best defence of dogma you find unpalatable.

but more importantly, why, if animals are 'not worth thinking about', does god describe how they should be treated in such detailed and specific terms?

 

as regards the OP, though. an omniscient god would know that in the not too distant future rape would be seen as an abomination and would logically have insisted it stops then and there. if he was able to dictate terms regarding rape, why not just cut to the chase and wipe it out as early as possible?

did he WANT men to keep raping for some reason?

 

Like Fox said, the injustice is that the woman is forced to marry her rapist and likely suffer the same violence for the rest of her life. I'd prefer the alleged word of god say something about the community taking care of the poor girl. If such a backward culture decides that a woman in that condition can't be married, and for whatever reason can't do anything after that beyond prostitution, then that ought to mean she's to be taken care of for life. Seems like a better fate than a lifetime of rape. Certainly more just, but maybe we're expecting too much from a supposedly benevolent, all-knowing being.

 

Context is everything. Here's a little secret, I also don't think Jesus' telling Peter to walk on water applies to me either.

Please stop making things up, I never said animals are 'not worth thinking about', but that they are not equal to humanity, made in God's image.

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How would He wipe it out, by taking away their free will? Do you want your free will taken away?

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Sin impacts innocent people, and yes, the above situation isn't optimal. Would you prefer she starve or turn to prostitution? What was she supposed to do, join the army or become a pharmacist?

 

so SOME of the bible doesn't apply to you, personally?

you said you don't think about the stuff about the birds, since it's OT. god appears to be concerned about it, so why aren't you?

don't forget, you christians have no free will. omniscience, remember. but yes, if god is happy to dictate how rape should be handled, and he's omnipotent, why not just dictate that it must NEVER happen - on pain of eternal torture and all that. why did he go for the terms which could only apply in that particular instant, in that particular place? that's not very all-knowing and universal, now, is it.

 

I said what I would prefer: the community take care of her, if they're so broken morally that they think a raped woman cannot be married and that women in general have no job prospects other than prostitution. And I'd expect a morally perfect being to advise them of that, rather than telling them to force an arrangement in which she'll be raped for the rest of her life.

 

God advising someone and that person obeying are two different things, witness the atheists here.

 

What has that got to do with your bible instructing people to treat women like dirt????

 

I must have missed that part. In truth, Christianity elevated the status of women, so much so that the early Romans derided Christianity as a religion of women. I see a lot more women treated by dirt by godless people disregarding His commands, using women sexually and shacking up, a form of modern concubinage, were women are used with no contractual responsibilities.

 

You missed what part? The OP???
YOU posted it. How does the OP show christianity elevating women? By NOT killing them for being raped?


""""I see a lot more women treated by dirt by godless people disregarding His commands, using women sexually and shacking up, a form of modern concubinage, were women are used with no contractual responsibilities. ""

What? You see into all bedrooms and other people's minds??? You KNOW they're "godless"? How?

Why do you think women are being used? If they consent to the sex they are not being used.

I "see" christian holy men raping children and I have PROOF!

 

The God character in the Bible was just a series of men,
like Hammurabi, that ruled the Middle East area for centuries. They were always giving the people rules to live by. There's nothing supernatural about it.

 

How is it a myth is atheists simply quote and red the Bible literally? LOL

These apologetics are laughable (as always).

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I am accused of making strawmen, then threads like these are made, threads justifying the payment for raping a woman. LOL

 

Then why are women ordered to remain silent amongst men? How is that elevating women? What about the bit where Paul says that women are not created in the image of god? How is that elevating women?

A straight answer please, none of this apologetic bull(*)(*)(*)(*).

 

Christians distort the OT simply by using it.

The OT belongs to Judaism and is actually called something different.

 

hey, lucky girl - guess what, you can marry your rapist

now, why didn't Ted Bundy think of that one?

Christians, gotta love em, puke!

 

I agree, the Lamb of God is oh-so silly.

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Yes, prostitution would be better than being an eternal rape victim.

 

That doesn't even begin to address the point of my post. Here it is again: I'd expect the alleged rules put forth by an alleged morally perfect being to not include a forced lifetime of rape as a consequence of getting raped.

 

Seriously? Instead of treating women like worms, they get treated like livestock. I don't think any book or faith deserves credit for that. That's like commending a parent for no longer spanking their children in favor of verbally abusing them. Lovely.

 

were women are used with no contractual responsibilities.

is this guy for real? Sounds like he thinks marriage is some kind of rental agreement. How about a woman just gets married for love or something